Loch Ness & the Highlands Cycling

Arrive in the waterside town of Inverness. Visit the castle with its 360 degree view over the Highland capital.

A transfer takes you to Gairlochy from where your route follows the Great Glen Way as it criss-crosses the Caledonian Canal and snakes effortlessly to Fort Augustus. En route you'll pass beautiful forest, peaceful rivers and brooding Loch Lochy whose sparkling waters and steep-forested hillsides give a fjord-like feel to the landscape. Your final stretch follows the foaming River Oich. You stay tonight in Fort Augustus at the southern tip of Loch Ness (B).

Spend the day at Fort Augustus, visit the Caledonian Canal Centre and watch the boats maneuvering the locks or head out on a cruise of Loch Ness to visit Urquhart Castle (B).

A transfer takes you along the Loch to Dores. Cycle quiet country roads between Lochs Ashie and Duntelchaig. Pedal past the impressive Nairn viaduct to visit 14th Century Cawdor Castle, the setting for Shakespeare's Macbeth. Continue onto Nairn, known for its two championship golf courses and sandy beaches, where you stay for the next two nights (B).

Today's route is an out and back route allowing you to do as much, or little as you like. It mainly follows signposted NCN routes to the Findhorn which has a beautiful beach, harbour and small heritage centre. Findhorn is also home to the well-known spiritual and ecological community of The Findhorn Foundation.

Along the way pass Brodie Castle to see how Scottish nobility lived from the 16th century onwards, the attractive town of Forres, home to the Benromach distillery. Close to Findhorn is the former air force base at Kinloss, once home to the RAF Nimrod anti-submarine squadron and mountain rescue operations. The small aviation museum “Morayvia” is highly recommended with many ex-airmen on hand to tell the story of the interactive exhibits (B).

There is a lot to fit in today so an early start would be wise. Starting along the shore head first to the spectacular historic barracks and Highlanders Museum at Fort George. The route then passes the pretty waterside hamlet of Loch Flemington then follows the south side of the Nairn valley and under the impressive masonry arches of the Culloden Viaduct, the largest stone bridge in Scotland. Visit the Prehistoric Burial Cairns of Bulnuaran of Clava which have long been a source of wonder. Across the river and up the hill lies Culloden Battlefield, site of the last battle fought on British soil in 1746. The excellent visitor centre shows the timeline of events before, during and after the battle in great detail. Ride on into Inverness for your final night (B).

The tour ends in Inverness (B).